This invention relates to magnetic head assemblies for reading/writing data on flexible media, and more particularly, to a slider which stabilizes flexible media and at the same time, has a low fly height.
Magnetic recording and playback at high densities in digital computer systems requires that a constant spacing be maintained between the record medium and the magnetic read/write head. In this type of magnetic recording, the magnetic head is separated from the magnetic record medium by an air bearing which must be of a small, constant, height to maintain the proper resolution of the writing and reading on the record medium. Flexible recording mediums, such as "floppy" disks, tend to flutter at high speeds. This, and other factors, change the spacing and stability between the record medium surface and the magnetic head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,592-Losee recognizes the problems and describes a coupler which stabilizes the media.
"Winchester" heads have been extensively used for hard disk drives and they have been proposed for use with flexible, or "floppy", recording media. U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,574-Inamura, et al is an example.
It is important to maintain stability of the flexible media while at the same time keeping a low fly height in order to get good writing and reproducibility. Lower fly heights can be achieved by providing a narrow rail width on the slider and higher loading forces. However, with flexible media the straightening, or stabilizing, effect of the rails is substantially decreased as the width is reduced.
The use of rails having slots therein is known. See, for example, FIG. 11 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,519.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optimal rail width, bleed capacity of the slots in the rails, and loading force of the flexures to provide low fly height of the electro-magnetic elements in the slider while obtaining good stabilization of the flexible media.